Flexible display device and method for changing display area

ABSTRACT

A display device to change an image displayed in a display area when the display area is changed includes a memory, a location output unit and a screen display unit. The memory stores size information of a display area displayed on a screen and the image data of the displayed image. The location computing unit computes a start point of the changed display area when the display area is changed. The display unit decodes data corresponding to the size of the display area based on the computed new start point from the image data to display the decoded data in the display area. Since the start point is obtained with center point of the changed display area and its size information and then a display area to be displayed is determined based on the start point, a current search location is maintained even when the screen is swung.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a Continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.14/307,326, filed on Jun. 17, 2014, which is a continuation of U.S.patent application Ser. No. 13/669,162, filed on Nov. 5, 2012, and nowissued as U.S. Pat. No. 8,767,018, which is a continuation of U.S.patent application Ser. No. 13/363,428, filed on Feb. 1, 2012 and nowissued as U.S. Pat. No. 8,319,799, which is a continuation of U.S.patent application Ser. No. 12/814,262, filed on Jun. 11, 2010 and nowissued as U.S. Pat. No. 8,120,626, which is a continuation of U.S.patent application Ser. No. 11/453,433, filed on Jun. 14, 2006 and nowissued as U.S. Pat. No. 7,755,647 and claims priority from and thebenefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2005-0056173, filed on Jun.28, 2005, which are all hereby incorporated by reference for allpurposes as if fully is set forth herein.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present disclosure generally relates to a display device and adisplay method, and more specifically, to a device and method ofcomputing a start point of a display area with a center point of thedisplay area and the size information of the screen to determine thedisplay area based on the start point so that current search informationcan be maintained even when the screen is swung.

2. Description of the Related Art

Recently, a mobile communication terminal has been used as a multimediadevice to perform various functions including to play MP3, take aphotograph, store and edit a photographed image as well as to call aperson up. When a user watches an image (photograph) which is largerthan the screen and stored in the mobile communication terminal on thescreen of the terminal, if the full size of the image is displayed onthe screen, the image becomes smaller so that the user cannot recognizethe contents precisely. In this case, a user enlarges a desired partfrom the entire image with a detailed enlargement search function. Asshown in FIG. 1, a user moves a display area on the actual size of theimage with up, down, left and right directional keys to search a desiredarea. The mobile communication terminal displays location information onthe currently displayed area from the entire image on the right bottomof the screen.

Recently, a swing phone (for example, mobile phone SCH-V600 produced bySamsung Electronics) has been widely used whose screen is rotated by 90°so that the length and width of the screen are exchanged with eachother. However, a conventional swing phone initializes current searchinformation when the screen is 90° swung while a user searches an image.That is, when a user swings a screen by 90° while searching a specificarea, a displayed area on the screen after swing is not a displayed areabefore swing but an initialized area. As a result, a user has to searchthe corresponding area again when the user tries to watch the previouslysearching area again.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Various embodiments of the present invention are directed at providing adisplay device configured to maintain current search information as itis regardless of change of a screen (change of the aspect ratio) duringdetailed search of an image.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, a flexible displaydevice depending on change of a display area comprises a memory, alocation computing unit and a display unit. The memory is configured tostore size information of a display area on a screen and the entireimage data of the displayed image. The location computing unit isconfigured to compute a start point of the changed display area when thedisplay area is changed. The display unit is configured to decode datacorresponding to the size of the display area based on the start pointform the entire image data and display the decoded data.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, a flexible displaymethod depending on change of a display area comprises a first step ofcomputing a start point of a changed display area from the entire imagewhen a display area is changed; and a second step of displaying an areacorresponding to the size of the changed display area based on the startpoint from the entire image.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other aspects and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent upon reading the following detailed description and uponreference to the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a detailed search process of an imagestored in a general display device;

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a flexible display device depending onchange of a display area according to an embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a center point and a start pointaccording to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating a flexible display method dependingon change of a display area according to an embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating movement of a display area depending ontop search and bottom search according to an embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 6 is a flow chart illustrating a top search and a bottom searchaccording to an embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 7 is a flow chart illustrating a left search and a right searchaccording to an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

The present invention will be described in detail with reference to theaccompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numberswill be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a flexible display device depending onchange of a display area according to an embodiment of the presentinvention.

Referring to FIG. 2, the display device comprises a key-input unit 10, amemory 20, a location computing unit 30 and a display unit 40.

The key-input unit 10 comprises a plurality of data input keys anddirectional keys(→←↑↓) as a user interface unit to the display device. Auser searches a desired area with the directional keys of the key inputunit 10 in detailed search by enlarging an image stored in the displaydevice.

The memory 20 stores data required to drive the display device as wellas multimedia data, specifically image data stored by a user. In otherwords, the memory 20 stores the entire image data and size informationdx and dy of a display area (see D of FIG. 3) displayed in a screen 50from the entire image. As shown in FIG. 3, dx represents the length of aX (horizontal) direction of the display area, and dy represents thelength of a Y (vertical) direction of the display area.

When a user moves a display area on the entire image size with thedirectional keys for detailed image search or swings a screen to changea state of the display area (change of aspect ratio), the locationcomputing unit 30 computes a start point sx and sy of the changeddisplay area with the size information dx and dy of the display area,change information mx and my of the area and image data. The locationcomputing unit 30 searches a center point cx and cy of the changeddisplay area with the change information of the display area, andreflects the size information dx and dy of the display area in thecenter point cx and cy to compute start point sx and sy. As shown inFIG. 1, when an image having a larger size than that of the display areais searched in detail, an initial center point of the display area isidentical with center point X/2 and Y/2 of the entire image. In otherwords, the center point of the display area becomes cx=X/2, cy=Y/2 as aninitial value of the detailed search. Since the movement distance mx andmy into the X or Y direction depending on one handling the directionalkey is previously determined, the location computing unit 30 is capableof calculating a center point of the display area moved depending on thenumber of pressing of the directional keys. The location computing unit30 adjusts(plus or minus) the movement distance into the X and Ydirections corresponding to kinds of the directional keys and thepressed number of the directional keys from the initial center is pointcx and cy to calculate a center point of the moved display area.Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 3, the location computing unit 30 sets apoint (pixel) of the left top of the display area as the start point sxand sy. The values of the start point sx and sy are represented bycx-dx/2 and cy-dy/2, respectively. Since the center point cx and cy isnot changed even when the display area is swung to change the aspectratio, the location computing unit 30 calculates values of dx and dy byexchanging them to obtain start point of the changed display area by thesame process.

The display unit 40 transmits change information (movement distanceinformation) of the display area to the location computing unit 30 whenthe display area is moved depending on using directional keys in thekey-input unit 10. Next, the display unit 40 receives the start point(sx, sy) information from the location computing unit 30 to displayimage data corresponding to the size of display area into the X and Ydirections based on the start point sx and sy. In other word, thedisplay unit 40 decodes image data of the memory 20 corresponding to dxin the X direction and dy in the Y direction based on the start point sxand sy to display the decoded data in the screen 50. The display unit 40also decodes image data corresponding to the size obtained by exchangingdx with dy when the display area is swung.

As a result, in the display device according to the embodiment of thepresent invention, the start point is obtained with the center point andthe size information of the changed display area, and an changed displayarea from the entire image is determined based on the start point sothat a current search location is maintained as it is even when thescreen is swung.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating a flexible display method dependingon change of a display area according to an embodiment of the presentinvention.

When an image to be searched is selected, an actual horizontal length Xand an actual vertical length Y of the entire image are obtained in thedisplay unit 40. Then, the display is unit 40 calculates the displaysize to be displayed with the previously determined size information dxand dy of the display area (step 410).

The location computing unit 30 calculates center point of the displayarea (step 420). The initial values of the center point are identicalwith the values of the center point X/2, Y/2 of the original image.

Thereafter, the location computing unit 30 calculates the start point sxand sy (step 430). The start point sx and sy is a point apart from thecenter point by ½ (dx/2) of the horizontal length and ½ (dy/2) of thevertical length in the display area.

The calculated start point (sx, sy) information are transmitted into thedisplay unit 40. The display unit 40 gets image data corresponding tothe size information dx and dy of the display area from the memory 20based on the start point sx and sy. The display unit 40 decodes theimage data to display the data in the display area. As shown in FIG. 1,the display unit 40 displays a search window for showing where acurrently displayed area is from the entire image in a predeterminedregion of the display area (step 440).

Next, when a user manipulates the directional keys for detailed search(or expanded search) (step 450), the display unit 40 moves the displayarea depending on the number of pressing of the directional keys andtransmits the movement distance mx and my information to the locationcomputing unit 30 (step 460). The location computing unit 30re-calculates the center point of the moved display area with themovement distance mx and my and the initial center point information(step 420). That is, the location computing unit 30 adjusts the movementdistance mx and my from the initial center point (cx=X/2, cy=Y/2) tore-obtain center point cx and cy of the moved display area. As shown inFIG. 5, when the size of the entire image is X=480(pixel) andY=640(pixel) and the movement distance mx and my moved into the X and Ydirections depending on one pressing of the directional keys is20(pixel) each, if a user presses a Up (↑) key three times for detailedsearch, the center point cx and cy of the display area D becomes 240 and260. On the other hand, when a Down (↓) key is pressed three times, thecenter point cx and cy of the display area D becomes 240 and 380.

Then, the start point sx and sy is re-calculated with the new centerpoint, and then an image of a searched new area is displayed in themoved display area.

FIG. 6 is a flow chart illustrating a top search and a bottom searchaccording to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 illustrateswhen the display area is moved only into the Y direction not into the Xdirection.

When a user presses a Up key for top search (step 611), the locationcomputing unit 30 identifies whether the Y value cy of the currentcenter point is smaller than or same as ½ (dy/2) of the vertical lengthof the display area (step 612).

That the Y value cy of the current center point is smaller than or thesame as ½ (dy/2) of the vertical length of the display area means thatthe top area of the entire image has been already displayed in thedisplay area. In other words, no more top search is required. As aresult, the location computing unit 30 sets the Y value sy of the startpoint sx and sy as ‘0’ when the Y value cy of the center point issmaller than or the same as ½ (dy/2) of the vertical length of thedisplay area (step 613).

However, in the step 612, when the Y value cy of the center point islarger than ½ (dy/2) of the vertical length of the display area, thelocation computing unit 30 sets the Y value cy of the center point ofthe moved display area of FIG. 5 as a value obtained by subtracting themovement distance my into the Y direction from the previous Y value(step 614).

Thereafter, the location computing unit 30 identifies whether the Yvalue cy of the is center point of the previous display area is smallerthan or the same as the movement distance my (step 615).

That the Y value cy of the center point of the previous display area issmaller than or the same as the movement distance my means that thedisplay area is not capable of moving upward. As a result, the locationcomputing unit 30 sets the Y value sy of the start point sx and sy as‘0’ as shown in the step 613.

However, in the step 615, when the Y value cy of the center point islarger than the movement distance my, the location computing unit 30sets a value obtained by subtracting ½ (dy/2) of the vertical length ofthe display area from the value calculated in the step 614 as a Y valueof new start point (step 616). That is, the Y value cy of the new startpoint of the moved display area becomes cy-(dy/2). The information ofthe calculated start point sx and sy in the step 613 or 616 aretransmitted into the display unit 40. The display unit 40 gets imagedata corresponding to the size information dx and dy of the display areafrom the memory 20 based on the start point sx and sy with the startpoint (sx, sy) information and the size information (dx, dy) of thedisplay area and decodes the image data (step 617).

The display unit 40 displays the decoded data in the screen 50 so thatan area to be searched in the entire image is displayed in the displayarea (step 618).

In the step 611, when a user presses a Down key for bottom search, thelocation computing unit 30 compares the Y value cy of the current centerpoint with a value (Y-(dy/2) obtained by subtracting ½ (dy/2) of thevertical length of the display area from the vertical length Y of theentire image (step 622).

When the Y value cy of the center point is larger than or the same asY-(dy/2), the bottom area of the entire image has been already displayedin the display area. That is, no more is bottom search is required. Inthis case (cy>Y-(dy/2)), the location computing unit 30 sets the Y valuesy of the start point sx and sy as ‘Y-dy’ (step 623).

However, in the step 622, when the Y value cy of the center point issmaller than Y-(dy/2), the location computing unit 30 sets a valueobtained by adding the movement distance my into the Y direction to theprevious Y value as the Y value cy of the center point of the moveddisplay area (step 624).

Then, the location computing unit 30 identifies whether the Y value cyof the start point of the previous display area is larger than or thesame as Y-dy-my (step 625). In other words, that the Y value cy of thestart point is larger than or the same as Y-dy-my means when no moredisplay area moves downward. In this case, the location computing unit30 sets the Y value cy of the start point as Y-dy as shown in the step623. However, when the Y value cy of the start point is smaller thanY-dy-my, the location computing unit 30 sets the Y value cy of the startpoint as cy-(dy/2).

FIG. 7 is a flow chart illustrating a left search and a right searchaccording to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 illustrateswhen the display area is moved only into the X direction not into the Ydirection.

When a user presses a Left key for left search (step 711), the locationcomputing unit 30 identifies whether the X value cx of the currentcenter point is smaller than or same as ½ (dx/2) of the horizontallength of the display area (step 712).

That the X value cx of the current center point is smaller than or thesame as ½ (dx/2) of the horizontal length of the display area means thatthe edge of the left area of the entire image is already displayed inthe display area. In other words, no more left search is required. As aresult, the location computing unit 30 sets the X value sx of the startpoint sx and sy as ‘0’ is when the X value cx of the center point issmaller than or the same as ½ (dx/2) of the horizontal length of thedisplay area (step 713).

However, in the step 712, when the X value cx of the center point islarger than ½ (dx/2) of the horizontal length of the display area, thelocation computing unit 30 sets the X value cx of the center point ofthe moved display area as a value obtained by subtracting the movementdistance mx into the X direction from the previous X value (step 714).

Thereafter, the location computing unit 30 identifies whether the Xvalue sx of the start point of the previous display area is smaller thanor the same as the movement distance mx (step 715).

That the X value sx of the start point is smaller than or the same asthe movement distance mx means that the display area cannot move furtherleftward. As a result, the location computing unit 30 sets the X valuesx of the start point sx and sy as ‘0’ as shown in the step 713.

However, in the step 715, when the X value sx of the start point islarger than the movement distance mx, the location computing unit 30sets a value obtained by subtracting ½ (dx/2) of the horizontal lengthof the display area from the value calculated in the step 714 as a Xvalue of new start point (step 716). That is, the X value sx of the newstart point of the moved display area becomes cx-(dx/2).

The information of the calculated start point sx and sy in the step 713or 716 are transmitted into the display unit 40. The display unit 40gets image data corresponding to the size information dx and dy of thedisplay area from the memory 20 based on the start points sx and sy withthe start point (sx, sy) information and the size information (dx, dy)of the display area and decodes the image data(step 717).

The display unit 40 displays the decoded data in the screen 50 so thatan area to is be searched in the entire image is displayed in thedisplay area (step 718).

In the step 711, when a user presses a Right key for right search, thelocation computing unit 30 compares the X value cx of the current centerpoint with a value (X-(dx/2) obtained by subtracting ½ (dx/2) of thehorizontal length of the display area from the horizontal length X ofthe entire image (step 722).

When the X value cx of the center point is larger than or the same asX-(dx/2), the edge of the right area of the entire image has beenalready displayed in the display area. That is, no more right search isrequired. In this case (cx>X-(dx/2)), the location computing unit 30sets the X value sx of the start point sx and sy as ‘X-dx’ (step 723).

However, in the step 722, when the X value cx of the center point issmaller than X-(dx/2), the location computing unit 30 sets a valueobtained by adding the movement distance mx into the X direction to theprevious X value as the X value cx of the center point of the moveddisplay area (step 724).

Then, the location computing unit 30 identifies whether the X value sxof the start point of the previous display area is larger than or thesame as X-dx-mx (step 725). In other words, that the X value sx of thestart point is larger than or the same as X-dx-mx means that the displayarea cannot move further rightward. In this case, the location computingunit 30 sets the X value sx of the start point as X-dx as shown in thestep 723. However, when the X value sx of the start point is smallerthan X-dx-mx, the location computing unit 30 sets the X value sx of thestart point as cx-(dx/2).

Although a center point of the moved display area is first obtained andthen the start point is calculated with the center point in thisembodiment, other method can be performed.

That is, the start point is computed by different methods distinguishedwhen the display area is moved upward, downward, leftward and rightwardand when the display area is swung.

First, when the display area is moved by handling of the directionalkeys is exemplified.

The location computing unit 30 calculates a start point of the displayarea when an image is initially displayed on a screen. The start pointis obtained by subtracting dx/2, dy/2 from the center point (cx=X/2,cy=Y/2). Then, when a directional key is manipulated, the locationcomputing unit 30 adjusts the movement distance mx and my depending on anumber of times that the directional keys are pressed, from the X valuesx and the Y value sy of the initial start point to obtain a new startpoint of the changed display area.

However, the above-describe method cannot be applied to when the displayarea is swung. As a result, a new method is applied to when the displayarea is swung.

The size of the display area is fixed in the display device. Regardlessof a location of the display area, the variation of the X and Y valuesfrom the start point before and after the display area is swung isconstantly predetermined. The start point variation is previouslycalculated and stored in the memory 20. That is, the start pointvariation is a difference between coordinate values before and after thedisplay area is swung based on the size of the display area. Then, whenthe display area is swung, the location computing unit 30 takes thestart point variation from the memory depending on the swing directionand adjusts the start point variation from the start point before swingto obtain new start point after swing.

As described above, in a display device and method according to anembodiment of the present invention, a new start point is obtained witha center point of a changed display is area and its size information,and then an area to be displayed is determined in the entire image basedon the new start point. As a result, a current search location can bemaintained as it is even when a screen is swung.

The foregoing description of various embodiments of the invention hasbeen presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is notintended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise formdisclosed, and modifications and variations are possible in light of theabove teachings or may be acquired from practice of the invention. Thus,the embodiments were chosen and described in order to explain theprinciples of the invention and its practical application to enable oneskilled in the art to utilize the invention in various embodiments andwith various modifications as are suited to the particular usecontemplated.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for displaying multimedia data on adisplay screen, the method comprising: adjusting a size of themultimedia data; determining a first area of the multimedia data to bedisplayed, the first area comprising a width value of dx and a heightvalue of dy when displayed; displaying the first area on the displayscreen; rotating the display screen; determining a second area of themultimedia data to be displayed, the second area comprising a widthvalue of dy and a height value of dx when displayed; and displaying thesecond area on the rotated display screen.
 2. The method of claim 1,wherein the adjusting a size of the multimedia data comprises enlarginga portion of the multimedia data.
 3. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising: determining a center point of the first area, wherein thecenter point of the first area corresponds to a center point of thesecond area.
 4. The method of claim 3, wherein displaying the secondarea comprises: determining a start point of the second area withrespect to the center point of the second area; and displaying thesecond area based on the start point of the second area.
 5. The methodof claim 4, wherein the start point of the second area is separated fromthe center point of the first area by ½ of the width value of dy and ½of the height value of dx.
 6. A method for displaying multimedia data ona display screen, the method comprising: determining a first area of themultimedia data to be displayed, the first area comprising a width valueof dx and a height value of dy when displayed; displaying the first areaon the display screen; rotating the display screen; determining a secondarea of the multimedia data to be displayed, the second area comprisinga width value of dy and a height value of dx when displayed; anddisplaying the second area on the rotated display screen.
 7. The methodof claim 6, wherein the first area is an enlarged portion of themultimedia data.
 8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:determining a center point of the first area, wherein the center pointof the first area corresponds to a center point of the second area. 9.The method of claim 8, wherein displaying the second area comprises:determining a start point of the second area with respect to the centerpoint of the second area; and displaying the second area based on thestart point of the second area.
 10. The method of claim 9, wherein thestart point of the second area is separated from the center point of thefirst area by ½ of the width value of dy and ½ of the height value ofdx.
 11. A display device, comprising: a memory unit to store multimediadata; an input unit to adjust a size of multimedia data; a display unitto display a first area of the multimedia data or a second area of the smultimedia data; and a determining unit to determine a first sizeinformation of the first area and a second size information of thesecond area, wherein the display unit displays the first area of themultimedia data with respect to the first size information in responseto a portion of the multimedia data being adjusted in size, and displaysthe second area of the multimedia data with respect to the second sizeinformation in response to the display screen being rotated.
 12. Thedisplay device of claim 11, wherein the first size informationcorresponds to an enlarged portion of the multimedia data.
 13. Thedisplay device of claim 11, wherein the first size information has awidth value of dx and a height value of dy, and the second sizeinformation has a width value of dy and a height value of dx.
 14. Thedisplay device of claim 11, wherein the determining unit determines astart point of the first area based on a center point of the first areaand the first size information, and wherein the display unit displaysthe first area corresponding to the start point of the first area andthe first size information.
 15. The display device of claim 11, whereinthe determining unit determines a start point of the second area basedon a center point of the second area and the second size information,and the display unit displays the second area corresponding to the startpoint of the second area and the second size information.
 16. Thedisplay device of claim 11, wherein a center point of the first areacorresponds to a center point of the second area.
 17. The display deviceof claim 11, wherein a center point of the first area is a center pointof the display unit.
 18. The display device of claim 16, wherein thestart point of the second area is separated from the center point of thefirst area by ½ of a width of the second size information and ½ of aheight of the second size information.